With Hundreds Still Without Safe Housing, Oregon Presses Trump to Reconsider Flood Aid Denial

The record-breaking flooding last March which caused widespread destruction in four Oregon counties, including the displacement of many residents following damage to 529 homes, has prompted an appeal for additional financial help to President Donald Trump by Oregon Governor, Tina Kotek.

Kotek has submitted an appeal via the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) asking the president to reconsider the federal government’s denial of Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding that ravaged Coos, Curry, Douglas, and Josephine counties.

While thanking the president and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for the public assistance granted to the four counties in July and August, the governor says critical gaps in long-term resilience and recovery have resulted because of the lack of individual and hazard mitigation funding.

“These programs are vital to restoring safe housing, protecting public health, and building long-term resilience in our communities,” she states in a news release.

529 Homes Were Damaged and Many People Displaced

The March storms damaged 529 homes in the four counties, including 72 homes that were either totally destroyed or severely damaged.

Adding to individual woes is the fact that insurance coverage is estimated at less than 2 percent, while many residents, including the elderly, disabled, or low-income earners, are living in RVs or in unsafe conditions.

OEM states that high on the list of unmet needs is mold remediation, septic system repairs, and restoration of private roads and bridges.

“Federal support is not just warranted…it is essential to restore safe housing, protect public health and reduce the risk of future disasters,” says OEM director, Erin McMahon.

The four Oregon counties were lashed by winter storms and melting snowpacks between March 13 to 20. McMahon says the week-long unrelenting rainfall, impacted by melting snowpacks, triggered catastrophic flooding, mud and landslides. The OEM director says Douglas County experienced its worst flooding in nearly three decades.

Emergency services responded to more than 1,100 calls within 24 hours, conducting mass rescues, evacuations, and the recovery of livestock.

Coos, Curry, Douglas, and Josephine Counties Need Millions More Dollars to Repair the Damage to Lives and Property

Although the Small Business Administration has offered $1.44 million in disaster loans, many of the flood victims to repay the loans. Adding to the problem are local governments that are facing financial shortfalls.

Coos County reports a $1.8 million shortfall, while Curry County is facing a $5 million deficit. Declining timber revenue in Douglas County continues to drain the local government coffers.

Adding to the financial struggle in that Oregon’s emergency response capacity is already strained by back-to-back wildfire seasons that cost $139 million in 2024 and over $110 million to date in 2025.

The loss of Secure Rural Schools Act funding has further stripped county budgets by $80 million annually, and while the state has allocated $2 million for recovery, officials say that falls far short of what is needed.

The OEM has identified buyouts and elevation of repeatedly flooded homes, stream-bank restoration, landslide stabilization, and infrastructure protection for assets such as the Roseburg trunk line and Douglas Electric substation, as priority mitigation projects.